UPLIFT West Nile collaborates with the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union (UNMU). Local midwives help with capacity building on sexual and reproductive health and rights, integrated in UPLIFT’s adult literacy programme.
The collaboration is good for both UPLIFT (access to professionally skilled midwives) and UNMU (using the UPLIFT network to reach out with health information to schoolgirls and vaccines).
We often talk about “rings in the water”. More often than not, some form of synergy is the outcome. When different measures support and reinforce each other, the result is more than the sum of the individual parts, if separate. As is the case here.
A few weeks ago, UNMU received a shipment of medical equipment from an aid organization in the USA – Direct Relief. 32 pallets with five tons of medical equipment and medicines. Equipment that will ensure that women in labor have a professionally safe and good birth. The equipment is called “Safe Birth Kits” and is distributed by UNMU to selected health centers and hospitals around the country. With over 3,000 such health facilities in the country, there is a great need for a “Safe Birth Kit”.
As a result of the UPLIFT – UNMU collaboration, our four focus districts: Nebbi, Zombo, Pakwatch and Madi-Okollo are assured of the delivery of equipment. Each kit contains equipment and medicines enough for 50 safe births. When the disposable equipment and medicines are used up, the health center can request a refill. This ‘enterprise’ is an example of volunteerism, at no cost for the end beneficiary.
